What sort of jobs did women have during WWI

What jobs did they have during the war?

During WWI over 6 million men enlisted to go and fight overseas, when they left their jobs had to be filled, so women had to take over these jobs, women had many well-known roles such as nurses, factory workers, sewing bandages, and selling war bonds, shipyards and spies. The Women's Royal Air Force was created during this, which is where women worked on planes as mechanics. By 1917 68% of women had changed jobs since the war began, 16% had moved out of domestic service, 22% that were unemployed in 1914 now had work, and 23% had changed to different factories. The first nurses of the war went to help the troops overseas in England, Egypt, France, Belgium and Mesopotamia. They helped out in hospitals, hospital ships and hospital tents that were set up with just dirt floors. There were more duties that the nurses had to carry out in the war than at home. They didn’t have many resources or much equipment, and had to work at a fast pace in order to keep up with the constant demands. The women suffered aswell, also suffering from psychological traumas from the experiences of the war and the wounds of the men.Soldiers went through tough times in terrible conditions on the battlefields, but what about the women that were left behind? For those women that had been left behind by a son, their husband, brothers, fathers, or friends, they were constantly waiting for their return. With the lack of communication between the home front and the battlefield, the most common news women received from the war was when a clergyman appeared at their doorstep giving them the news of their loved one’s death. This was traumatizing and caused grief to the women. Women also had to deal with managing children and family responsibilities alone, shortages of resources and their fears for the future.

What jobs did women have before the war?

Before the war, it was commonly believed that a woman's place was in the home or doing ‘feminine jobs’. For example, house cleaning and looking after the kids. The only power they had in politics was the right to vote, which wasn’t common in a lot of countries around the world. Yet women still received wages about 50% lower than men’s. A woman’s place was seen to be at home, doing their domestic tasks and raising their children. They were not even permitted to work in factories as it was seen as unladylike for them to be open to that kind of environment, which was common among most countries.

What was there life like after the war?

Not all women left their homes to do their bit in the factories. Some women spent their time knitting socks for the troops, rolling bandages and getting medical kits and that ready, or raising money for war causes. All over the Britain and in America, women were supporting the troops as best they could. The war ended on the 11th November 1918. The world had to try to regain normality. For millions of women, that meant returning to the lives they had before. In February 1918 the British government passed the Representation of the People Act, which gave women the right to vote. Women over the age of 30 who were either householders or married to householders were allowed to vote. This gave around 8 million women the right to vote. Later in the year, women were given the right to be elected to Parliament. It took another ten years before women were given the vote on an equal footing with men.